If there is one shoe that bridges generations, styles and geography, its the Converse All-Star "Chuck Taylor". Iconic. Unique. Dynamic. These are all easy ways to describe Chucks. One thing that can't be put into words is the impact these shoes have had on sneaker history and culture.
The Converse Rubber company started business in 1908 and
produced the first Converse All Star in 1917 after an increase in basketball's popularity. The original color ways was a natural brown fabric with black trim and sales were relatively slow at first. That was until Charles "Chuck" Taylor became the companies lead salesman. Chuck Taylor was a basketball player for the Akron Firestones and travelled across the US hosting clinics and promoting the Converse All Star. For his success in promoting the shoe, Converse added his name to the signature ankle patch in 1932.Today, the Converse brand and history is owned by Nike and has flourished as the current generation has taken an interest in the classic. The shoe can currently be found in hundreds of colors and designs but all still have the unique design and mark that captured Chuck Taylor's imagination so many years ago. The sneaker was one of the first athletic shoes to give support to athlete's ankles with the canvas upper and used there rubber technology to create nonslip rubber soles. What's been most impressive about the Converse All-Star is its appeal to a non-athletic consumer. From being the shoe of choice for greasers in the 50s to the Ramones and rock-n-roll heads in the 1970s, the Chuck Taylors have always been a staple of comfort and versatility.
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